1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument, and more particularly, to a surgical instrument for dissecting and cutting tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
Various surgical procedures are performed in a minimally invasive manner. This includes forming a small opening through a body wall of the patient, e.g., in the abdomen, and inserting only the elongated and small diametered instruments to access the internal body cavities and organs. In general, prior to the introduction of the surgical instruments into the patient's body, insufflation gases are used to enlarge the area surrounding the target surgical site to create a larger, more accessible work area.
Minimally invasive surgery can reduce both trauma to the patient and recovery time for procedures involving small openings. Surgery of this type requires a great deal of skill in manipulating the long narrow endoscopic instruments to a remote site under endoscopic visualization. In addition, due to the relatively small interior dimensions, various surgical instruments need to be switched to perform the required procedure. For examples, dissecting and cutting tissue typically requires a tissue dissector and a surgical knife, respectively, which requires the surgeon to switch instruments during the procedure, which in turn extends the duration of the surgical procedure.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved surgical instrument for dissecting and cutting tissue. More particularly, there is a need for a single surgical instrument that performs the functions of dissecting and cutting tissue.